LOS ANGELES — When Daniel Cormier found out that Jon Jones was probably going to have to drop out of UFC 187 due to his legal troubles, he had an inkling that once things played out, he’d get a call from the UFC.
“I was waiting, because this thing with Jon happened on a Sunday,” Cormier said Monday. “Two days is a long time to wait. And initially I was like okay, we’ll see what happens.”
But then he saw Ryan Bader — the guy Cormier was scheduled to meet in New Orleans on June 6 — openly campaigning for the bout via social media, and he knew he had to step up his game.
“Ryan Bader started putting stuff on the internet, and it was like, what the hell’s wrong with you?” Cormier said. “You’re trying to cut to the front of the line. It’s not like he beat anybody.”
Determined not to let Bader get the spot, Cormier started working the phones and calling people in high places. It paid off, as he got the nod to meet Anthony Johnson on Saturday night in the main event for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title.
“I tried calling them, and I said, hey, why not give me the chance?” Cormier said. “If anyone deserves the shot, it’s me.”